To all students...

[Kevin]

Simple, make homework optional. A math teacher I had never forced homework on us. He'd give it everyday but never penalized you if you didn't do it. However, every test he gave us usually tied in with some of the homework. If you never did your homework you were pretty much screwed. Usually after the first test was given, everyone started doing the homework. It wasn't really that hard either, maybe 20 minutes which made it worth the effort...

 

[Yossarian]

let the beatings commence!

 

[notfred]

Seriously, think about it from thier perspective, why should they do they homework? What do they feel they're gaining out of it? If you can't convince them that the material is useful, your only other option is to convince them that they're gonig to get in trouble if they don't do it. It's just the way people are in that we don't spend time on things we don't care about. If you can't make them care, they're not going to do it.

 

[BigJ]

Have them have a participation grade that counts as a test They start out with a perfect 100. Each time they don't do their HW, 5 points is deducted from on of the tests. It's an easy way for a kid to boost up their avg if they do the hw, and an easy way for kids to help be on the road for failure if they don't.

 

[Ameesh]

Originally posted by: notfred
Seriously, think about it from thier perspective, why should they do they homework? What do they feel they're gaining out of it? If you can't convince them that the material is useful, your only other option is to convince them that they're gonig to get in trouble if they don't do it. It's just the way people are in that we don't spend time on things we don't care about. If you can't make them care, they're not going to do it.

youre assume that they went through a rational thought process about doing homework rather then just being lazy or apathetic.

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

First, tie in homework with others thing. Such as giving extra credit, kids like the sound of that, for getting homework done on certain days. Also give candy for things like answering a question you ask. Don't tell them you're going to, just give them a piece of candy whenever they answer the question in class correctly even if it is very simple.

Make the assignments a little small in the beginning so they can get it done quickly. For a few days, how about like 5 problems a day? And give them time in class for that, they'll just finish it off in class. Give 10 points on the scale for completion. Then after a week or two, raise it to 10 or so questions. They'll think, 5 in class, and the other quick 5 at home.

Give some pop quizes in which they can use their homework and pull 90% of the questions from the homework. Don't announce this though, make them realize at any given time, you can give a quiz and they can use their homework. I have to go, but I'll be glad to contribute more ideas. My e-mail is ankygupta@hotmail.com

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

Lots of interaction with the class. Play games everyday to reinforce the lessons and give prizes such as extra credit in small amounts or candy to those who participate.

 

[JetBlack69]

I believe we had something like a homework exam every other week or something. Basically, all of the questions on the exam came straight from the homework that week or the week before and we could look at our homework as we took the exam. That way, if a student did the homework, s/he could just copy your answer down or s/he could actually solve the problem right there because s/he didn't do the homework.

So, students who know the material and find homework worthless will do fine, students who did the homework will do very well, and people how didn't do the homework and don't understand the material will have lower grades and maybe a call home.

We also had regular exams that we couldn't use notes/homework on.

 

[illusion88]

Originally posted by: CorporateRecreation
Be the teacher they want to impress.

good luck!
I have only had a few teachers who really left a mark on me. Oddly enough, my 7th grade math teacher did 🙂. He was a good guy, he made us want to do our homework. Somehow he was able to convey a strong sense of dissapointment whenever we failed in doing our homework. Not to mention he was very funny and light hearted about many things.

 

[Soccer55]

One thing that may help is to give a quiz every week. Tell your students that the quiz will only cover the previous week's material. Then when you make the quiz, pick only problems from the homework. I feel that this is a nice, quick review of the previous week's lessons and also rewards the kids that have done the homework as they should get near 100% on every quiz.

-Tom

 

[Pepsi90919]

if they don't want to do it then let them not do it. i hated anal teachers.

 

[silverpig]

Whip it out.

Look at the girls and say: If you get an A, you get some of this.
Then look at the guys and say: If you miss a homework, you get some of this.

😀

 

[Cal166]

My College Professor takes out 2-5points every missing HW and applies it towards your next Exam. Seems to work.

 

[Cal166]

Originally posted by: Medellon
They get homework at most 3 times a week and usually not on Friday. They get between 10-15 problems and it should never take more than 30 minutes per night. It usually only takes between 15-20 minutes. I will be calling parents but want to try some other methods because where I teach, the parents are almost as bad as the kids and their education level is pretty low.

Just saw the news this evening, they said kids who does bad in school is an "advantage"....they may be eligible for a private tutor or be placed in a better school...some stupid new program implemented into the slumping education system.

These days kids are just lazy these days with all the luxury around them.

 

[PatboyX]

Originally posted by: Medellon
I know a lot of you out there are in high school or recently graduated so I'd like your input. I teach 7th grade math and this year seems to have a pretty sorry group of kids as far as effort and ability goes. The problem is they are not doing their homework and I would like to know what rewards or punishments had the greatest effect on you to get you to do your homework.

a lot of schools have systems that if you miss so many assignments you are required in a detention-like thing. that tends to work...but, if the school doesnt have that, not sure if you can do it.
my gf is having the same problem with one of her 8th grade english class.
basically, she cant ever give them the benefit of the doubt anymore. they are manipulative and lazy. they simply dont want to do work. in that case, i think its an issue of work ethic. in your class, it may be the quanitity of work...or maybe they just cant all get it in class. sometimes covering too much too fast (especially in math) can loose people. miss too much in math and you could be screwed all year.

 

[AgentZap]

Rewards are a bad idea.

I absolutely despise math homework unless I can relate it to something useful. The only two math's I did well in was Geometry and Prob and Stats because I found practical uses for it. Finding what some random values of x is so damn boring and repetive. I get apathetic because solving for x etc has no damn relevance at this point.

If you can find a way to tie the material into interesting problem solving or applications that may be a better idea.

A great concept my Prob and Stats teacher did in college was to develop a binder with all the notes and examples we needed. Of course we had to buy it at the bookstore, but it was worth its weight in gold. It had real-world examples of what he used the skills for in his prior career and real life. We would use class time to go through that.

We were given assignments which were all worth like 10 points each and equaled and were totalled for a test grade at the end so it was very important we do it. It was easy to do because we had the binder to refer back to if we got stuck. One of the main things that stopped me from doing homework in high school was getting hung up on how to do it which would frustrate me so I would procrastinate and never do the work.

 

[Imported]

If they have an A before the final, they don't take the final. That was a great way to motivate me.

 

Have you examined the fact that mabey their parents don't care about their schooling. Or them for that matter?

 

[Howard]

If I were you, I wouldn't force the students to do homework (or at the least, give them a little) and tell them that there might be a quiz on last day's homework next class.

 

[EMPshockwave82]

for each homework assignment you fully complete you get 2 points... if you forget even 1 question down to only having half the work done you get 1 point... less than half of work done you get 0 points....

add up the total number of points possible.. say 7 homework assignments since the last test... 14 points possible.. if they dont have at least 11 points take off 5% from test grade.. if they have 7 or less points take off 10% for that test grade....

worked in my HS algebra class